Impact of Covid-19 On Screen Time And Physical Activity Of Children

Abstract

Increased usage of total screen time during Covid-19 pandemic has affected children in multiple ways. Decreased awareness in parents leads to inadvertent exposure to increased screen time in children. The impact of Covid-19 on screen time and physical activity in children is being presented in this study. This community based, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on school going children of more than two years of age using structured web based questionnaire. Statistical test such as descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Out of 998 subjects enrolled, 90% of children attended online classes using a smartphone. Around 40% children had an extra screen time of more than 30 min. 53% parents had never heard of any screen time guideline. Children who were being taken care of by grandparents had significantly less screen time as compared to those being looked after by parents(p=.001). About half of parents noticed decrease in physical activity and increase in weight of their children. Total duration of outdoor activity was < 1 hour in > 60 % children.  Change in bowel habits was significantly associated with screen time of > 2 hours in the > 5 years age group. There was significant association of parents working from home with a screen time of >2 hours in children >5 years age group (p=0.004). While it is important to adopt critical measures to halt the spread of COVID-19, close collaboration between parents, schools, and ministries is necessary to assess and mitigate its long-term collateral impact.